This weekend saw the release of one of the most anticipated Air Jordan retros of the year. And they aren’t even an original. Well, not exactly, anyway. The Air Jordan 11 Retro Low that drops this Saturday borrows the iconic “Concord” colorway from its mid-top counterpart, and in turn becomes one of the year’s most wanted sneakers. Even though Michael Jordan himself famously wore a pair at the Bulls’ 1996 championship parade (not to mention last year’s beer pong sighting), the Concord Lows never released at retail—like all other retro colorways that cause magnitudes of frenzy upon their release.
With all this hype over a low-top—probably the most hype any low Air Jordan has ever garnered—we started thinking about all the other great low-top sneakers that originally came from a high-top silhouette, just like the “Concord” Air Jordan 11 Retro. Today we present our picks for the 10 very best high-top to low-top conversions in sneaker history.
10. Air Jordan XVII Low
There’s a few good low-top conversions of Air Jordans, and you’ll see a couple more further down this list. But the Air Jordan XVII edges out others that didn’t make the cut (no pun intended) like the Air Jordan IX Low and Air Jordan XIII Low because MJ actually wore them on court (late in his career with the Wizards). Superb colorways like the “Lightning” and University Blue versions and Mike Bibby’s purple accented PE you see above also make the XVII Low stand out.
9. Nike Air CB 94 Low
On paper, a low-top conversion for a big and bad Charles Barkley signature shoe doesn’t sound like a good idea. But somehow, the chopped down Air Max2 CB worked really well. We definitely wouldn’t mind seeing a few more retros of these.
8. adidas Superstar
The only low-top on the list that actually got an entirely new name, the shell-toed Superstar is actually the low cut adidas Pro Model. Does a shoe this iconic even need an explanation for why it makes this list? Didn’t think so.
7. Nike LeBron 8 V2 Low
Some of the annual low editions of LeBron’s signature shoes have been, let’s just say, much less great than their higher counterparts. However, Nike Basketball got it right on the Lebron 8 Low, with its perfect blend of good looks and functional, stripped down upper. The “Miami Nights”, “Sprite” and “Bright Mango” versions remain some of the best colorways for the LeBron 8, low or high.
6. Reebok Question Low
Allen Iverson’s first signature model is without a doubt one of the most successful sneakers ever for Reebok. So it makes sense that the brand would eventually turn the silhouette into a low-top, too. Luckily, it also looks great. We’re just surprised Reebok hasn’t released the Question Low more often.
5. Air Jordan II Low
If there’s any original Air Jordan that has a good argument for looking even better as a low than the high, the Air Jordan II is certainly it. Bonus points go to the II Low for the fact that MJ wore them on court. Can we get another retro, please?
4. Air Jordan 11 Retro Low
The original Air Jordan XI was released as a low-top, but only in the patent leather-less IE construction. Once retros started becoming a common practice, it was inevitable that Jordan Brand would produce a low-top 11 with the original patent leather build. Fortunately, the silhouette made a seamless transition from high to low and can easily be considered the best Air Jordan low of them all.
3. Nike Dunk Low
The Dunk Low did exist upon the iconic 1980’s college sneaker’s original release, but in far fewer numbers and with much less popularity than the high-top version. Receiving a few retros but sitting in relative obscurity for years, the Dunk Low’s popularity shot into the stratosphere after Nike SB adopted the silhouette in the early 2000’s, and its many sought after colors became the hottest shoe in the sneaker world. It’s cooled off a bit since, but the Dunk Low appears to be here to stay for a long, long time.
2. Converse Chuck Taylor All-Star Low
No “best of” list that has anything to do with low-top sneakers could be complete without the Chuck Taylor All-Star Low, or oxford, as Converse calls it. Anybody can wear this shoe…and almost everybody has at one time or another.
1. Nike Air Force 1 Low
Nike’s all-time best selling sneaker, the white-on-white Air Force 1 Low is as iconic as it gets in the sneaker world. What started out as a high-top performance basketball shoe in the early 1980’s transformed into a casual sneaker option for the ages when it went low. With thousands of collectable colorways and variations, the Air Force 1 Low is the very foundation of what our culture is built on.
Source: solecollector.com by Zack Schlemmer
Source: solecollector.com by Zack Schlemmer
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